


Sunday Lunch

by Fabrisse



Series: Rebuilding the Table [27]
Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Character Study, Families of Choice, Family, M/M, Original Character(s), Quiet, a little politics creeps in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-02 14:18:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4063096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabrisse/pseuds/Fabrisse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The promised Sunday lunch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunday Lunch

**Author's Note:**

> In True, Eggsy and Merlin invite Jamal and his father to Sunday Lunch. I decided it went here rather than in the "other ranks" series because it focuses on Eggsy and Merlin at the end.

Jamal and his father, Kaspar, knocked on the door. Eggsy opened it, and Jamal noticed that his father relaxed very quickly.

“Good to see you again,” Eggsy said and ushered them both in. 

Daisy came running up waving, and Kaspar said, “She’s a young lady now, not a baby.”

“Yeah, started proper school this year,” Eggsy said. “Say a proper hello, Daisy.”

“Hello.” She peeked out from behind Eggsy’s leg.

“I don’t know when she started going all shy like this.” He smiled at them. “Come on in and have a seat.”

“This all yours, bruv?” Jamal asked.

“It is now. Merlin’s owned this apartment for years, but we bought the other two when they came on the market.”

“Merlin?” Kaspar said.

“Yeh, Dad. Told you, he’s my big, big boss and all.”

Kaspar turned to Eggsy. “And you live with him?”

Eggsy looked at Jamal and said, “You didn’t tell him?”

“I did. Dad, I said Eggsy’d gotten married to my boss. Told you.”

He nodded. “I didn’t understand that it was not a woman you’d married.”

“Is it a problem, guv?”

Kaspar closed his eyes to compose himself. “It won’t be.”

“‘Fanks,” Eggsy said. 

Roxy came out of the kitchen. “Good to see you again, Jamal.”

“Yeh, um,” he looked between her and Eggsy.

“Her name’s Roxy. Fancy you forgetting the name of a pretty lady. Kaspar, this is my colleague and friend Lady Roxanne Morton. Roxy, this is Jamal’s father, Kaspar Gayle.”

“How do you do, Mister Gayle?”

“I am quite well, Lady…”

“Eggsy knows better. He uses it to tease me. Please, I’m Roxy.”

Merlin came out. “Honestly, Eggsy, the next time we have guests it’s your turn to cook.”

“You said that last time and then told me to get out of the kitchen this morning.” He smiled up at his husband. “Kaspar, this is my husband Hamish McKnight, but everyone calls him Merlin.”

They greeted each other, and Kaspar seemed a little wary.

“An’ you know Jamal.”

Merlin smiled. “I don’t think we’ve met since his orientation. Good to see you again.”

Jamal swallowed hard. “Merlin.”

Merlin glanced at Eggsy who said, “You’re bloody terrifyin’, y’know.”

“Please everyone, have a seat. Lunch will be about thirty minutes. I hope lamb’s all right.”

Kaspar said, “I’m sure it will be fine. Could you use help?”

Merlin caught a slight challenge and said, “Of course, if you’d like to.”

The men went into the kitchen. The rest of them sat in the living room in silence. 

Finally, Jamal said, “You live in a terrace house in Regent’s Park? Seriously, that’s not something I thought about. How much do they pay the knights?”

“There are a few perks, but this is Merlin’s, and I sold the house I inherited to help buy the other apartments. Mum’s place by Hampstead Heath was my Kingsman place.”

“You’re really happy with him, ain’t you? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like you did when he came up.”

Roxy rolled her eyes. “Yes, they’re both adorably in love.”

Eggsy said, “We are and all.”

***  
“How old are you, man?” Kaspar said as soon as they were in the kitchen.

“Nearly fifty-two.” He handed Kaspar the potatoes. “Would you mind mashing? And if you’re going to tell me I’m old enough to be Eggsy’s father, you won’t be the first. I know. I told him that.”

“But you’re a big boss in the organization, too. You telling me you didn’t take advantage?”

Merlin said, “You can believe what you like. All I know is that we’ve been in a serious relationship for just over three years, and we’ve been married for two of those years. Pretty much since Daisy came to live with us.”

“You took her daughter away from Michelle.”

“Yes. And we’re in the process of adopting Daisy.”

“You’re older than I am, you know. And you’re with a boy younger than my Jamal. You’ve got a lot to answer for.”

Merlin said, “Would I have as much to answer for if Eggsy were a woman?”

Kaspar stood straight and said, “If you seduced her away from her family, I would say yes.”

Merlin smiled. “Good. My mother thought Eggsy was my son, and it bothered her a lot more that I was homosexual than that my… boyfriend was so much younger. Michelle thought as you did at first. Are the potatoes done?”

“If I beat them any more, they’ll be more use as wallpaper paste.”

“I’m glad Eggsy has people who want to look out for him, but if we’re talking about things to be answered for, why didn’t you protect him from that nasty piece of work he called a stepfather.”

Kaspar said, “Many’s the night he slept at our flat to keep away from Dean. We took him in when we could.”

“Did you ever call CFS? The police?”

“You been to our old estate? I don’t think so, cause if you had you’d know better. It would bring the other parents down on me like a ton o’ bricks. I wouldn’t last five minutes there if I’d turned someone in. Though, one night, Eggsy was bleeding and I did pick up the phone. CFS did nothin’ and the p’lice didn’ do much besides messing with some of the boys from the estate, gettin’ them into trouble.”

Merlin finished carving the lamb. “We’re going to go in and have a civilized lunch because Eggsy misses having a friend like Jamal in his life. I’ll do my best to stop scaring your son, but I really am his big boss. Of course, Eggsy is technically one of my bosses. But I will tell you something Mister Gayle. The boys from that estate got messed with a lot. And I don’t think you were so blind that you didn’t know that.”

“I kept it from my door. I’ve been lucky enough to be in work my whole life. But you’re right that I couldn’t keep it from Eggsy’s door, not entirely.”

“I hope Brussel sprouts are all right.” He took the serving platter to the table and came back for the mashed potatoes and sprouts.

Kaspar said, “I never thought Eggsy might be gay. But I also never thought I’d see him lookin’ so happy, neither. You look out for him. You look out for Daisy, ‘cause you’re right that Michelle’s going through bad times. You look out for Jamal when you can. I won’t be your enemy.”

“Fair enough, Mister Gayle.”

“Kaspar, please, Merlin.”

“Fair enough, Kaspar.”

***  
By the time Daisy was asking about dessert, Jamal had loosened up enough to ask Merlin questions. Eggsy grinned when he saw his husband pull out a small notebook and take a few notes based on Jamal’s remarks. The conversation was turning terribly technical. He whispered to Daisy, “Help me clear the table, and we’ll see what Roxy brought for dessert.”

Daisy was giggling at the pretty Seville orange gateau when Kaspar came into the kitchen. 

Eggsy said, “Daisy, ask everyone whether they prefer tea or coffee with dessert and then go sit at the table after you’ve told us.”

She nodded and ran into the dining room. She ran back and said, “Tea,” brightly before going to sit on Merlin’s lap.

“Could you cut the cake for us?” 

Kaspar nodded and took the knife Eggsy handed him.

“When’d you go gay, Eggsy?”

“Didn’t. I’ve always liked both. It’s just Merlin I fell in love with.”

“You never felt pressured by him?”

Eggsy rolled his eyes. “Seems like every time I have this conversation… I kissed him first. I asked him out. I told him I loved him first. Merlin was a grown man who could’ve turned me down. But, Kaspar, you have to accept that I was a grown man who knew what I wanted and all.”

Kaspar nodded. “Yes, you were. I was grown and married at twenty. Me wife was eighteen, barely. Us old ones forget sometimes. And maybe there’s a little envy for Merlin, getting to have someone young with him -- though I think girls is better.”

Eggsy laughed as he finished assembling the tea. “Roxy had a crush on him when we first started at the shop. It’s amazing how many girls like Merlin.”

***  
The afternoon went well. Jamal and Roxy played a labyrinth game with Daisy while Eggsy washed up. Kaspar had asked Merlin about the circular chess board, and Merlin was teaching him how to play it.

By the time they left, Jamal had been drafted as a back up babysitter and Daisy didn’t want to let him go. She was still a little shy with Kaspar but shook his hand formally as he left just as the adults had done. Roxy walked with them to the tube stop.

Eggsy took Daisy for her bath, and they all did a puzzle together before bed.

When Merlin came back downstairs, Eggsy was reading a book. He poured two scotches and handed one to Eggsy.

“It’s the Talisker. I like it,” Eggsy said.

“Mmhmm.”

“What is it my love?”

“Are you really younger than Jamal?”

“Yeah, by about six months. He was born in late December and my birthday’s early July. Looks like year on paper, o’ course. We going to argue about the age difference again? ‘Cause I’m sure we can schedule it for later in the week.”

Merlin laughed. “No. I’m happy with you. I think you’re happy with me. As long as that’s true, age doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, Merlin!” Eggsy grinned.

“Kaspar tried to say something, and then I brought up you getting beaten by Dean.”

“He did the best he could. There were nights when Mum ate because he gave me tea and sent home leftovers. You don’t grass, not ever, in that kind of community. I know he did call once, because I remember beggin’ him not to, worried ‘bout how much worse Dean would make it afterward.”

“I see.”

Eggsy said, “You two prolly never going to be close friends. I understand.”

“But you want Jamal to remain a close friend.”

“We’re not close as we was, though it’s better now he’s a driver and all. It’s too easy to forget, y’know. I’m terrified I’ll end up as Arthur, thinkin’ I’m superior and them as don’t get out is worthless. If Harry hadn’t made the offer, I’d've been in jail or killed by Dean, yeah.”

“Maybe. I sometimes forget how much support I had. I remember how terrified I was of not being the best from a very young age, because then I would have let them all down.”

Eggsy took his husband’s hand and began to kiss the knuckles. “I looked at our taxes. We give a lot to charities in Scotland. Never been something I had to think about.”

“We can see if there are charities that could help your old estate directly or indirectly.”

“With Cameron runnin’ the country, we should see if there’s a food bank.”

Merlin blinked at him. “I’ll start researching it first thing tomorrow.”

“No, my lover, I will. Jamal might be able to help me find some things out, too.” He sucked Merlin’s finger into his mouth and flicked his tongue around it. “But that’s tomorrow, right?”

Merlin pulled him close for a bruising kiss. “We have far better things to do tonight. It’s your turn to get Daisy to school tomorrow, too, _mo chridhe_.”

Eggsy took his hand and started up the stairs. “Yes, my love. Tomorrow can take care of itself.”


End file.
